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Salute to the Guild!
We have a wonderful group of volunteers who put together two of our largest fundraisers of the year – Nature’s Noel in December and the Plant Sale in May. These (mostly) ladies put months and months of planning into these events and just do a fabulous job. And although they mostly prefer to stay behind the scenes, we wanted to say thanks and let them know we just couldn’t do this without them!
Shoppers look for the perfect plant
Come out this Saturday – May 5th – from 9AM until 12Noon for our annual Plant Sale. Native annuals and perennials, hosta, wildflowers, prairie grasses are available, as are herbs, peonies and other beautiful, healthy plants. Yard art and rain barrels also on sale. Get here early!!
No, not THAT newt
Jean has been out and about again…this time on the hunt for salamanders!
Getting the traps ready
Last year, Margaret asked a question I had never even thought about. Why don’t we see salamanders here? Until recently, with the creation of the north ephemeral pool and the prairie pothole, the answer may have had a bit to do with lack of reproductive habitat. The Lynch wetland is full of predacious fish and birds, making it difficult for salamanders to reproduce there. But the prairie should have provided good habitat for mature salamanders. The real answer probably lies in the intensive agriculture that took place here for years. But before we set about reintroducing the tiger salamander, we wanted to establish that they actually aren’t here.
Christopher wades in to set the traps
Don brought out his minnow traps and showed Margaret, Joe, Christopher and I how to use them. Basically, they are little metal screen buckets that snap together, with a funnel on either end. The funnel is submerged just beneath the surface, allowing plenty of space above it for animals to access air if they need to.
Critters, including fish, frogs, snakes and salamanders funnel in and have trouble finding the way back out. Daily checks will provide a record of what species live in the water. Christopher volunteered to go out into the water and set the traps for us. He set some in the north ephemeral pool and some in the Lynch wetland shallows. We don’t actually expect evidence of salamanders at the Lynch wetland, but it has been so dry since we established the prairie pothole that there wasn’t enough water there to place the funnel underneath the water.
Marsh marigolds in bloom
I was delighted to find the marsh marigolds we planted last year were blooming at the prairie pothole. I wasn’t really expecting that, because it has been so dry there. It’s the first time I’ve seen them on the property.
~Jean Wiedenheft
Indian Creek Valley Tree Loss
Director Rich Patterson has been fielding a lot of questions about the loss of trees in the Indian Creek Valley. We are equally frustrated! Here is some information from Rich that may prove helpful.
Many people have expressed concern or anger about substantial tree cutting near the Sac and Fox Trail along Indian Creek. The Nature Center is also concerned and frustrated.
For many months, the Nature Center has been aware of a City project to replace an old sewer down the valley with a larger one. Staff have attended engineering meetings where we asked the City to minimize tree loss and use the opportunity to move the often flood damaged trail to higher dryer ground. The project itself has nothing to do with the Nature Center but many people have contacted staff frustrated by tree loss.
The City marked many trees that were not supposed to be removed. These were typically the largest and most impressive trees. The contractor removed them anyway. It is an abomination. The last I heard, the City is attempting to get compensation from the contractor for the loss of these trees, but I do not know the status. The contractor is required to plant new trees following construction.
If you are concerned or want information contact Dave Wallace at 286-5814 at the Cedar Rapids Engineering Department.
~Rich Patterson
Ginger…or Maryanne?
Jean has been out making more discoveries around the grounds…
Wild ginger traditionally begins flowering in April, so I was somewhat surprised to see the deep red of its blossoms against the brown dirt of March. It is flowering under the pagoda dogwood, whose own leaves are just beginning to break dormancy. The beautiful curve of the ginger’s single flower is inconspicuous from the typical vantage point of the human observer, but the ants and gnats that pollinate it have no difficulty finding their way inside.
Wild Rice in our Wetland
Land and Facilities Steward Jean Wiedenheft was out recently in search of wild rice in our wetland and makes this report.
When the Lynch Wetland was initially planted in 1999, wild rice (Zizania aquatica) was on the species list. This native annual is an important food source for everything from muskrats to ducks, so it is a valuable plant to have in a diverse ecosystem. Unfortunately, the wild rice population never established itself. We won’t ever know if it was gobbled up by a tiny weevil or a red-winged blackbird, or whether the conditions at the time of the planting just weren’t right. The wetland would seem to be an ideal setting for wild rice, with several feet of standing water in the small pond and a gentle current as the water flows into the larger pond.
Because wild rice is an annual and needs very specific, wet growing conditions it disappeared from the local landscape as wetlands were drained. Harvesting it, either to eat or to establish elsewhere, is difficult. Native Americans used canoes, shattering the ripe seeds into the canoe and allowing some to land on the water to sink and grow for the next year. When winter thaws into spring is a perfect time to plant seeds. I kept the seeds wet and cold all winter, to mimic a normal stratification process. This should support a high germination rate. I’ve also formed most of the seeds into mud balls. 
Some of the seeds float on the surface of the water for a while before sinking, and during that time they are quite vulnerable to being eaten. The mud balls help them sink and help ensure they have good soil contact.
The cattails in the area are starting to emerge, and the red-winged blackbirds returned February 27. As spring progresses, I’ll be looking for the emergence of prairie cord grass—another water-loving species that belongs in Iowa wetlands. And I’ll be looking for the Canada goose pair that traditionally nests on the island to return.
